Ways to de-stress for success during final days of semester
by Rebecca Ogle
As the end of the semester draws near, professors’ deadlines tighten, students’ workloads grow and stress becomes a campus-wide epidemic.
The long-term solution to stress-free living is maintaining a balanced lifestyle, scheduling reasonable time for play as well as work. But how can you avoid stress during a deluge of papers and tests? Keep reading to find out.
Exercise
After staring at a laptop screen for hours or spending time between classes hunched over a book, going for a run actually starts to sound appealing. And it helps more than you might think.
“Stress has such a strong physical component that I think it’s important to work it off by playing Frisbee, going to the Wellness Center, dancing … it doesn’t matter what you do,” said Holly Woodruff, director of Counseling Services. So put on those running shoes and make endorphins your new drug of choice!
Hang out with friends
Chatting or grabbing dinner with friends is a great way to take your mind off your workload.
“Spending time with my wife, family and friends is a great de-stressor for me,” said Nelson Bingham, provost and psychology professor.
Also, who says friends are necessarily human? “Going to the HELP center and playing with the animals is a good way to de-stress,” said sophomore Molly Malcolm.
Sleep
Lack of sleep or even just irregular sleep patterns affects your overall health and well-being.
“It’s the season for illness, and we know stress levels are up, which is amplified by the fact that we don’t get enough sleep,” said Bingham. Getting more sleep will help you stay calm and alert, and you’ll get more done while studying.
Have fun
Fun … what’s that?
“It’s important to have fun every day for your physical and emotional well-being,” Woodruff said. Make sure to pencil in “fun” on your to-do list. Here are a few fun activities mentioned in the Earlham Counseling Services brochure, “101 Self-Care Tips to Reduce Stress”: Blow bubbles, watch cartoons, make a cake and lick the beaters, sing out loud, get crafty and messy, play an instrument or the radio.
Pace yourself
You may be thinking, all these solutions sound great, but there’s simply no time to take a break. Students often take desperate measures to fit everything in, like moving into Lilly library or chugging coffee to stay up until 5 a.m. Of course, cramming isn’t the healthiest choice, but it can also be unproductive. Bingham explained the phenomenon: “Students will say, can I make up for the bad grade I got on this paper with extra credit? And I usually say, that’s probably not a good choice because you have things you need to work on now. If you keep cramming, you may not do your best work.”
Woodruff echoed his concerns. “If you’re not relieving your stress, you’re not going to be as efficient, so it will actually save you time to schedule even 15 minutes to relax.”
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